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DAIRY ST R
Volume 23, No. 21
Zimmerman wins heifer in Great Christmas Grand Prize Giveaway By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
BOYD, Wis. – A trailer door swung open on a chilly December Friday afternoon in central Wisconsin, and two pairs of brown eyes met. For 7-year-old Daniel Zimmerman, it was love at rst sight as he met his registered Jersey calf, Woodmohr Victorious Ginnay. “She is beautiful. I love her already,” said Daniel as he climbed in the trailer to meet Ginnay. Daniel is the son of James and Erla Zimmerman of Boyd. The Zimmermans, along with their nine children, milk about 60 cows on their Clark County farm. “We told him last night after he got home from school (Thursday),” James said.
“All dairy, all the time”™
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Love at rst sight “I told him that he had won something, and his sister said, ‘Hey, maybe you won that Jersey calf.’ Then he got excited. This morning before he went to school, he kept reminding me not to forget I was going to pick up his calf.” The Zimmerman children were entered for Dairy Star’s Great Christmas Grand Prize Giveaway at Chippewa Valley Dairy Supply in nearby Stanley. “We were in the store the one day and the kids saw the yer to register for the drawing, so we did,” James said. “We have never really been lucky enough to win much of anything, and it is the rst time Daniel has won anything himself. I would say it is a pretty good way to start.” Daniel is in rst grade and loves reading. After school, he helps feed the family’s dairy calves. His parents said Daniel enjoys spending time in the barn and loves the animals, especially the calves. “I am excited that I have my own calf now,” Daniel said. “I cannot wait to take care of her every day.”
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DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Daniel Zimmerman (right) and his brother James Lee Zimmerman welcome Woodmohr Victorious Ginnay home to their family’s farm in Boyd, Wisconsin on Dec. 17. Daniel was the winner of the Dairy Star’s Great Christmas Heifer Giveaway. His parents, James and Erla, milk 60 cows.
Keeping their father’s legacy alive Manthe siblings take over farm after father’s death By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Siblings Libby and Ian Manthe took over the family farm aŌer the death of their father in March. The Manthes milk 450 cows and farm around 850 acres with the help of three full-Ɵme employees near Deforest, Wisconsin.
DEFOREST, Wis. – Libby and Ian Manthe thought they would be much older than 22 and 17 when they took over the family farm. But when their dad, Roger, died last March in a farming accident at the age of 50, the siblings suddenly found themselves in charge of the operation. While mourning the loss of their father, the responsibility of learning how to run a business fell into their laps. With broken hearts, Libby and Ian forged ahead because the cows had to be milked, the crops had to be planted, and the bills had to be paid. The challenges were many, but dairy farming was the dream of these fourth-generation farmers who were motivated to make the most of a terrible situation. “My dad always told us, ‘Someday this is going to be yours,’” Libby said. “However, neither of us thought we’d be this young with a farm on our shoulders, but here we are. Every day is a learning experience.” The Manthes milk 450 cows and farm about 850 acres near Deforest. The dairy operates with a lean workforce consisting
of Libby, Ian and three full-time employees. “Help was hard to nd,” Libby said. “We only had one full-time employee before. I went from doing pretty much all the milking with my dad to hardly ever milking. I spend a lot more time in the ofce now.” Libby manages the cows, taking care of herd health, vaccinations, feeding and any other aspects related to the cow. She is also now responsible for the farm’s bookwork. “The bookwork is something I had to learn real quick, and it was a large undertaking,” Libby said. “I had never seen a milk check or a bill before. My dad did it all, and when I had to take over, I didn’t even know how to read the milk check.” From planting through harvesting, Ian is in charge of eldwork. “I learned everything from my dad,” Ian said. “It was always him and I working beside each other, but there was a lot I hadn’t learned yet. I had to gure out how to run the chopper and how to manage crops for a timely harvest. We do all our own maintenance so I also had to learn about ordering parts and how to x things.” From crops to cattle to maintenance, Ian had to grow up fast and take on responsibility beyond that of most kids his age. “Ian continues to impress me by all he has learned,” Libby said. “From equipment maintenance to repairs, he does it
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